Christmas Dreams
by PalindromePen
Summary: When Jack gets a new girlfriend, Kim feels hopeless. But with the help of a new friend who is in the exact same situation as her, the upcoming dance, and some Christmas spirit, her wish could come true... I do not own Kickin' it!
1. Chapter 1

"So…let me get this straight. You got your ear stuck in the lizard's mouth because of your cello exploding and your brother's pants getting caught on fire?" Kim asked in disbelief, eyeing Eddie incredulously.

"No, no, no! I got my ear stuck in the lizard's mouth, and _then_ my cello exploded. The fire thing happened an hour later," Eddie said, as if this clarified everything. Milton looked at him weirdly.

"Dude. You've got one incredibly weird family. One that just happens to have bad things happen to it every single day! Do you even know how improbable that is?" he asked. Eddie opened his mouth, but Milton cut him off with, "Very improbable! The chances are 98 to 2!"

"But there is still that 2 percent," Eddie said, grinning triumphantly. Milton groaned.

"Have you guys seen Jack?" Rudy said, walking into the dojo. "He's fifteen minutes late for the lesson…again! It's the third time this week!"

"I don't know, Rudy," Kim said. "He's been acting weird all week. I tried asking him if anything was up, but…" She shook her head. "He didn't say anything. Which is weird, because he tells me everything."

"Well…we'll just have to start without him. Jerry, you're with me. Milton, you're with Kim. And Eddie…you have to practice with the boards," Rudy ordered.

"Aw man! Hang on! I have a note from my parents somewhere here…" Eddie started rooting through his parents. Rudy shook his head.

"Sorry, Oompa Loopma. Boards, now."

"Oompa…what? Oh, whatever," Eddie mumbled, reluctantly dragging his feet toward them.

About midway through the lesson, they stopped for a break. Kim was at her locker, chugging down water from her bottle, when she heard Jerry say, "Uh oh. I think I see why Jack's late. And why he was acting so weird this week."

She was about to ask why, when she turned and saw Jack enter the dojo. He was smiling, and had a girl beside him. Kim stiffened.

"Holy Christmas nuts! She is _hot_!" Eddie said, and though Kim didn't have the perspective of a boy's, she knew that the girl, who had long chestnut-brown hair, a nice figure, and an easy smile on her face, was definitely one to be classified as a "knockout."

"Hey, guys!" Jack said, then slung his arm around the girl's shoulders.

"I want you to meet Meghan…my girlfriend."


	2. Chapter 2

"And when," Kim's voice was accusing, "did this happen?"

Jack flinched, his eyes showing the slightest bit of guilt. "Um… a couple of weeks ago."

"A couple of weeks ago." Kim whirled around and threw her hands up in the air. "A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO!"

She turned back and started stalking toward Jack, her eyes aflame. "Why didn't you tell us then? What made you feel that you had to hide it?"

Jack's girlfriend—Meghan—made to speak, but Kim held up a silencing hand,

"Stay out of this, hun," she said, not unkindly. "It's not you I'm angry at." She looked at Jack and raised an eyebrow.

Jack found himself unable to speak for two reasons: one, Kim was looking at him with such fury that he knew that she could—and most probably would—break every bone in his body. Two: he didn't have any reason.

"I…uh…" he stuttered, desperately grasping for an excuse.

The blonde's eyes narrowed. "I see," she said coolly. And then, she started to walk toward the changerooms.

Milton, Jerry and Eddie watched in stunned silence.

"Kim, wait!" Jack rushed after her. "Don't you think you're over reacting? I mean, just because I have a girlfriend doesn't mean you have to freak out like—"

"You think I'm reacting like this because you have a girlfriend? I'm acting this way because I'm hurt that you obviously don't trust m—us! We're your best friends!" Kim crossed her arms. "And I'm not over reacting. How would you feel if your best friend, one you are close to, suddenly reveals this enormous, _monumental_ thing that they've been hiding for a considerable amount of time?"

For the second time in fifteen minutes, Jack found himself speechless. So, he said the only thing that came into his mind. "I'm sorry."

Kim shook her head. "Saying sorry isn't enough!" Seeing his confused face, she sighed. "Look, this isn't just about you lying to us. You also broke the Wasabi Code. "'To be loyal and _honest_ and never say die. And you sure as heck weren't being honest."

"You're right," Jack said. "You're right. I'm sorry. I really, really am. Look, I won't lie to you guys again. I'll…I'll tell you all my other secrets! Uh…" He fumbled.

Kim relented. "Oh, fine. You're forgiven." She turned to the still watching guys, who also nodded.

"Anyway," Kim said, her face breaking out into a grin. "Hi, Meghan. I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm Kim, and this is our dojo."

Kim exited the dojo, clutching her bag. Although she showed calmness and confidence in her movements, if anyone had been watching closely, they would have seen a slight slump in her shoulders. And this was because Jack Anderson, her best friend, the boy she loved, was now officially "unavailable."

_Stupid, stupid, stupid_, she grumbled to herself internally. _I should have told him. And now, I love my best friend, who loves another girl. I am such an IDIOT!_

Kim snapped herself out of her reverie when she heard a jolly "HO HO HO!" echo throughout the mall complex. She rolled her eyes. It was only the end of November, and already there was a Santa clone sitting in the middle of the mall.

She walked over to a hot dog stand, which happened to be right behind the Santa. She ordered, and turned around to watch the children sit on Santa's lap. Right now, a little girl was on his lap, while her extremely annoyed-looking brother stood next to her.

"What do you want, little girl?" Santa boomed.

"For Christmas, I want a magic ballerina music box, my very own kitty-cat, and…for my brother to be happy." Kim smiled softly at the girl's requests, especially at the last one.

"Your brother? Why, whatever is the matter?" Santa asked.

"Well," the girl replied, "Luke is in love with his best friend, who's a girl, and she's dating another guy. My brother's really upset."

"_Millie_!" Luke hissed.

"Oh…yes, well, don't worry. Santa will make all your wishes come true."

Millie clapped her little hands and slid off his lap. Luke grabbed her hand and started walking away.

Kim, who had heard all of this in surprise, grabbed her order of fries and rushed after them.

"Wait! Oh, excuse me, ma'am. Excuse me! Wait!" she called.

Luke and Millie turned.

"Hey, I'm Kim Crawford, and I couldn't help overhearing…" Kim said. "Is what your sister said true?"

"Oh, Millie…" Luke moaned. "And yeah, it is. Why do you want to know?"

"Because…I'm in the exact situation," Kim replied. "I'm in love with my best friend, but he's dating another girl."

"Really," Luke said, eyebrows flying up. "Wow. Talk about coincidence, huh?"

"Yeah," Kim mumbled. "So…who's the guy your best friend's dating?"

"Oh, him. He doesn't go to my school. His name is Jack Anderson."


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Kickin' It!**

"His name is Jack Anderson."

Those words reverberated through Kim's head as she gasped and reeled back in shock. Luke, taking in Kim's expression of astonishment, looked concerned.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked.

"Luke," Kim said, fighting to keep her voice steady, "I know we just met and all, but we need to talk. Now."

"Why? What's the matter?" Luke looked bemused.

"Just come on!" Kim insisted, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the dojo. He tried to resist, wondering why on earth a girl who he had literally met five minutes ago was now attempting to, essentially, kidnap him.

"Wait! What about my sister? I can't just take her with me!" he yelled, trying to pull away from Kim's iron grip. Kim glanced down at Millie, who was looking up at her with wide blue eyes.

"My friend Rudy works in there. He'll take care of her for a few minutes. Just move!" Kim dragged an unwilling Luke and his sister inside the dojo.

"RUDY!" Kim called loudly, rolling her eyes when she saw him holding a yowling Tip Tip in his arms.

"You don't need to shout, Kim! Geez, it gives me a headache," Rudy whined. He was about to say more, but was interrupted when Millie let go of Luke's hand and flew over to him.

"Kitty cat!" she shrieked, and lifted her arms, asking Rudy to give her the "kitty."

Rudy bent down. "Hey, little girl! Do you want to pet my kitty?" Millie nodded enthusiastically. "Well, come on then!" He set Tip Tip on the ground. Mille immediately started petting the cat, which rolled and purred under her hand. Rudy laughed.

"They'll be fine," Kim said, grinning at the adorable sight. Luke looked very reassured as well.

"Anyway," Kim said, sitting down on the bench and motioning for Luke to do the same, "The thing is this: the guy I love is dating…" Kim struggled to remember Jack's girlfriend's full name. "Uh…Meghan Andrews, I think her name is."

Luke's eyes widened. "_Meghan?_" He connected the pieces, and then looked up at Kim with amazement.

"Jack Anderson's your best friend. What kind of coincidence is this?" he whispered.

"I have no idea. This is incredible, right?" Kim returned, still trying to absorb this information. They both continued to express their absolute disbelief at the turn of events.

"Did Meghan only tell you today, that she was dating Jack?" Kim asked, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

"Yeah! Let me guess; Jack only told you today, too, right?" he said. Kim nodded.

"Whoa…okay, wait," Luke said suddenly, "The question isn't how we met at the exact same time our best friends/crushes started dating each other. The question is: what are we going to do about it? How are we going to use this situation?"

Kim thought about it. "I'm…not sure. What _can_ we do?"

"Well, we could…" Luke scratched the back of his neck nervously, "We could pretend to be dating."

"What?" Kim said, startled. "Uh, I don't think that's a good idea. What would that achieve?"

"Well," Luke said, "Maybe—I don't know—it could make them jealous."

Kim shook her head. "No offense, but I think that's a stupid idea. Why would they get jealous, if they're already dating someone? I mean, the whole point of dating is to be in a closer relationship with the people you have feelings for. If they had feelings for us, they wouldn't be dating. See what I'm saying?"

"Yeah. I know, it was kinda stupid." Luke attempted a grin.

Their conversation was interrupted when they heard a loud yawn coming from Millie. They looked over to see Rudy, Tip Tip and Millie passed out on the mats, the first snoring gently.

"Oh, Rudy," Kim said, chuckling softly. "Hey Luke, I think it's about time you took this little girl home and gave her a nap." She picked up Millie gently, cradling her, and then passed her over to Luke.

"Yeah."

They walked out the door together, when Kim stopped.

"Luke! I think I know what we can do."

"What?" Luke shifted Millie on his hip.

"I think, since we're the only ones who know about this, we can confide in each other. Every time we feel angry or upset about our best friends, we can just rant." Kim saw the understanding look in Luke's eye. "And," she continued, "I know we just met and all, but I really trust you. I think we can make this work. So…together?"

Luke smiled. "Together." They fist-bumped, gave each other a quick hug, and then Luke departed.

Kim smiled to herself, immensely glad about the way things had worked out. She may have been sad and angry about Jack and Meghan, but now she had another friend she could really talk to. She made the decision to go home, and started walking, unaware of the figure that darted away from behind a tree.

**This wasn't my best chapter ever, but it's pretty crucial to the story. And as I'm sure you noticed, Luke and Kim are not going to be dating. But...something else will happen...**

**Anyway, who do you think the mysterious figure i? It's probably not that hard to figure out, but leave your idea in the reviews!**

**Also, thanks to everybody who commented. It really makes my day. :)**

**Well, that's about it. PalindromePen, out.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Kickin' It!**

**By the way, there is a very important author's note at the end of this story. Please don't skip over it! Or this one, for that matter. :D**

Meghan Andrews knew she was lucky. She had great, loving parents, good grades, and popularity at her school, Redroof High. And, as of a couple of weeks ago, she had the sweetest boyfriend one could hope to have: Jack Anderson.

She also had her best friend, Luke.

She and Luke had met not too long ago; merely a year and a half had passed. She had been walking out of the mall on a hot, summer day. Luke and some of his friends had been chasing each other with water bottles filled with sloshing liquid. Luke had been running away from one of his companions with his bottle open, and he crashed into her, knocking her onto the ground. The water sloshed all over her brand new shirt. And instead of apologizing, he started laughing hysterically, tears and sweat running down his face. Meghan had stood up very slowly. She reached into her large bag and pulled out a large, one-litre bottle of water. Then, she dumped its entire contents over Luke's head, ignoring his pleas of mercy, and then collapsed, bursting out into laughter herself.

They'd been best friends ever since.

So, Meghan did know she was fortunate to have such a good life. However, as she watched her best friend smiling at Kim Crawford from behind the big tree, heard him agreeing to be "together" with such contentment, and saw him hug her, she couldn't help feeling as she was missing—maybe even losing—something big.

But she had no clue what that something was.

**Line Break: The next day**

Kim lounged on her bed, idly flipping channels on her HDTV, when she heard the doorbell ring. She descended down the stairs, feet pattering rapidly on the carpeted floor. She opened the door.

"Miss Crawford?" A man at the door greeted her, smiling warmly. Kim nodded.

"I am pleased to tell you that you and your partner, Mister Jack Anderson, have won two tickets to the hockey game this Wednesday," he said. Kim gasped.

"No way! We won the contest?" she said, elated.

"Er…that's what I just said. Anyway, here they are. Congratulations on your story, by the way; your writing and Mister Anderson's drawings complemented each other perfectly. It was very enjoyable!"

"Thank you," Kim said, smiling. She closed the door.

She and Jack had entered the contest together a month ago. It required writing a picture book about hockey, and the rules stated that illustrations were required as well. The prize was tickets to see the Seaford Whales play in a playoff game. Since Jack was quite a good artist, and she was an excellent writer, they had collaborated, planning out every detail of that story together. They had fantasized about winning the contest and seeing their team win.

Kim pulled on her shoes, and ran out the door, only just remembering to lock it. She clutched the envelope tightly, and ran to the dojo, where she knew Jack was most likely to be. It turned out she was right, but there was a catch: Meghan was with him.

Kim sighed when she saw her, but ran faster anyway. It didn't matter right now. What did was that they had won the contest! They would see an actual playoff hockey game!

"Jack! JACK!" she shouted, sliding through the doors. She pushed the envelope into his hands. "We won! We won the contest! We're going to see a hockey game!"

Jack's eyes lit up. "Seriously? No way! When is it?" He pawed through the envelope, staring at the two tickets in awe.

"It's this Wednesday. Oh my gosh, this is going to be so awe—what's wrong?" Kim broke off when she saw Jack's morose expression.

"Kim…I can't make it."

"What? Why?" Kim stared at him confusedly.

"Meghan and I are going on a date this Wednesday."

"Well," Kim said, "Can't you reschedule it? I mean, this is so huge!"

"I'm sorry, Kim, but I don't think we can."

"But…we've been planning this for a month! Am I the only one who remembers everything we did, everything we planned, to win this?" The blonde was suddenly very, very angry.

"Uh, you guys, it's okay. We can reschedule the date," Meghan broke in.

"No, no! I want to go on this date, Meghan. Look, I'm really sorry, Kim, but I can't do it. This date is too important to me. Please, try to understand." Jack looked at her, eyes begging.

"Right…I'll get someone else to go with me. I get it," Kim muttered. Jack smiled with relief.

"Thanks, Kim! Come on, Meghan! Let's go to Phil's. I hear he has a new special." Jack and Meghan walked out the door, hand in hand.

"Yeah, I get it," Kim said to herself bitterly, "You don't care much about your best friend anymore."

**Aww, poor Kim. As always, please read and REVIEW! It really makes my day to hear your opinions!**

**Okay, so this is the thing: I'm going to be going to a wedding next week, and then, right after, I have to go to India. I don't know if I'll be able to update this for the two months that I'm there, because my entire family is going to use my laptop only (we want to pack lightly). Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that you don't have to give up on this story. I don't intend to give up on it myself; I have too many ideas. But it might take a very, very long time before I update.**

**I'm really sorry!**

**So, yeah. That's about it. Again, R&R!**

**PalindromePen, out. **


	5. Chapter 5

As Kim exited the dojo in dejected silence, she got a glimpse of a shock of blond hair. She squinted, and was almost unsurprised to see Luke standing near the mall entrance. She also noted that his shoulders were slumped, and assumed that just like the other times they'd met up, they were in the exact same situation.

"Hey," she said as she approached him.

"Hey," he replied, nodding at her.

"Let me guess. Meghan ditched you for a date with Jack on Wednesday."

Luke looked up, a question in his eyes, then simply shrugged.

"Happened to you too, huh?" he said flatly. Kim nodded.

They stood in silence for a few minutes, staring at the ground, when Luke started to talk.

"It's not fair!" he blurted. "We were supposed to go see the Nutcracker ballet at the theatre on Wednesday. Meghan said it's a tradition that she follows each year, and I was going to go with her! And then, she says that she has a date that she "absolutely cannot miss,"—Luke rolled his eyes—"and that she can't come. So now, I'm stuck with two tickets to the ballet, and a best friend who completely ignores me for her stupid boyf—" He stopped short, then grimaced apologetically.

"Sorry. I got carried away," he said.

"No, it's okay. Jack _has _been stupid lately," Kim said, then added, "And Meghan too, no offense."

"None taken."

Yet more silence.

"I have an idea," Kim said, "If I come to the ballet, wanna see a hockey game with me?"

"A hockey game? You mean the Seaford Whales playoff game?" Luke asked, a smile appearing on his face for the first time.

"Yeah," Kim replied, nodding enthusiastically. "What do you say? It'll be fun!"

"Sure. Though the ballet probably won't be," he said ruefully. Kim shook her head.

"Nah, it'll be fine. I'll see you on Wednesday, then? The hockey game is at five. The ballet?"

"It's at three," Luke answered, rummaging through his pockets and emerging with two tickets.

"Perfect." Kim smiled. "See you on Wednesday, then."

"Okay. Bye!"

Kim waved and started walking off again. She felt slightly better knowing that she could relate to someone who was, almost literally, in the same position as her, and that she wouldn't have to be alone.

But she couldn't help feeling slightly resentful that Jack wasn't going to be with her at the game. She liked Luke, and she was already very good friends with him, but a little voice inside her head kept telling her, taunting her, about how much more fun this would be if it was Jack who was accompanying her.

**Line Break**

On Wednesday afternoon at two-fifty, Kim pulled on her shoes and exited the house. She knew that going to see The Nutcracker was a slightly formal event, so she'd taken the liberty to wear a new pair of jeans and a very nice shirt, stowing an extra shirt in her bag to change into at the hockey game.

Seaford Theatre wasn't very far from where Kim lived, so she reached it in about five minutes. She met Luke at the door and they walked in.

The ballet started with some beautiful music. As the story progressed, both Kim and Luke got more and more involved in it. When Clara was cradling the broken nutcracker in her hands, Kim turned to Luke and saw him wiping his eye furtively. Catching Kim's incredulous stare, Luke quickly dropped his hands. Kim turned away, smirking.

But even the normally tough Kim Crawford was overwhelmed with the feeling of love and the spirit of Christmas that emanated from the play. The entrancing dances of the Sugar Plum Fairy—really, the entire show—completely filled her heart, as cheesy as that sounded. When the ballet was finally finished, Kim was one of the loudest people in the audience as she hooted and clapped.

"That was fantastic!" Kim breathed as she walked out with Luke, who nodded, smiling softly. Then, she turned to the boy.

"You were crying." It was a statement, not a question.

"I was not," Luke mumbled, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Were too."

"Was not."

"Were too."

"Was _not!"___

Kim couldn't help bursting out into laughter at the look of childish defiance on Luke's face, and the sudden rise in the range of his voice. She gave him a knowing look, which made the boy immediately stop protesting, understanding it would be futile.

The hockey game was much the same. Both friends nearly went hoarse shouting. In the end, though, it was worth it; the Seaford Whales ended up winning. So, all in all, they had an amazing time.

As they walked back home together, still buzzing with excitement, they chatted, laughed, and, essentially, told each other much more about themselves. By the end of the evening, they thought that they could be classified as close friends.

They were having so much fun that both Kim and Luke almost forgot about their predicament, and how much they longed for the company of Jack and Meghan, respectively.

Almost.

**Alright. So, I decided to update just one more chapter before I leave, just to tide you guys over. I know there wasn't much Kick in it, but the next chapter will definitely be better (I know that this was kind of weak.) Also, sorry I didn't describe the hockey game or the ballet much. I don't know much about either, so it ended up feeling really rushed.**

**Anyway, read and review! Thanks again, everybody, for the support! If I'm lucky, I'll update in India. But if not, have a FANTASTIC summer, and see ya in September! :D**

**PalindromePen, out. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for all the reviews! They are really making my day! This chapter is dedicated to one of my reviewers. I can't thank them by name, as it was an anonymous review, but half of this chapter came from his/her idea. So, thanks for that! Oh, and read and review!**

**I do not own Kickin' It. **

With every day that passed by, Kim found herself spending more and more time with Milton, Eddie, Jerry and Luke, and less and less time with Jack. She found herself almost dreading his presence, as Meghan usually accompanied him, and for all her toughness, she couldn't handle the thought of them being together.

But there was another reason: she was angry with Jack. Just like her not spending time with him, Jack was spending less time with her and the others. Heck, she'd last talked to him last week. A month ago, Jack's closeness with his four best friends (five, if Rudy counted), was almost legendary at Seaford High. Now, things were very different, again, all because of Meghan, though Kim didn't blame her directly for it. It was just inconvenient, how she showed up.

Kim was finding just how helpful Luke really was. She could come out of school or the dojo one minute feeling angry or upset about Jack, but would find that after one conversation with Luke, she was calmer. She also found herself drawn (in friendly terms, of course), to the fun spirit in her new friend. She could run around with him and do crazy stuff with him without feeling restricted. She knew that Luke felt the same way.

However, though helpful, they missed their best friends. They knew that it was possible that they could actually lose Jack and Meghan to the world of their relationship, and Kim and Luke had no idea how to stop it.

But as it turned out, they didn't need to.

**Line Break**

Jack Anderson was on Cloud Nine.

It had been only three weeks since he'd met Meghan, three weeks since they'd started dating, and he was having a blast. Meghan was smart, funny, kind, and very pretty. He really did like her, and it definitely helped that both had so much in common.

But sometimes, Jack felt like he was missing something. Whenever he and Meghan went out on a date, his stomach felt like it twisted up inside, and there was always this little voice in his head that told him something was wrong. He didn't know what it was.

What he did know was that Meghan felt it too.

So, both decided to attribute it to the nerves of a new relationship.

But one day, when Jack and Meghan were walking in the park, they discovered that, just maybe, those feelings weren't because of the reason they'd thought of.

It was a beautiful day, even in December. The sun was shining, and the sky was a beautiful azure blue. So, Jack and Meghan decided to take a walk in the park.

"It's so perfect today," Meghan said, slinging her arm through Jack's.

"I know. Awesome day for a walk. Not too hot," Jack said, smiling.

"Tell me about it! One day, in October, I think, it was so hot that me and Luke—he's my best friend—actually crawled into my fridge to keep cool."

"Seriously?" Jack said.

"Yup! We ended up getting severe colds, and for days we sounded like aliens because of our noses. My mom was not happy."

Both Jack and Meghan laughed.

As they rounded a bend, they heard a pair of very familiar voices.

"Is that Kim?" Jack whispered, just as Meghan whispered, "That's Luke!" They stared at each other wide-eyed, and then carefully walked on, crouching behind a tree when they were close enough. They saw Kim and Luke sitting under the shade of a large elm tree

"You were so crying," Kim's voice said.

"You're still bringing that up? For goodness' sake, Kim! I was not crying at the Nutcracker!"

"You are such a liar! I saw you wiping your eye, ya big baby. Boys and their egos."

"I was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Was not!"

"Was too! Wait…hey!"

Kim snickered while Luke groaned. "You're never going to let me live that one down, are you?" he said, running a hand through his hair.

"Nope. Even when you're old and wrinkly, I'll call you and tell you all about it in tons of detail, then make fun of you. It'll haunt you the rest of your life," Kim teased, grinning.

"Ah well. I'll just have to deal with it." Luke heaved a big, dramatic sigh, then stood up, brushing the grass off his pants. "I'm going to the mall. I have to get presents for everyone for Christmas. You wanna come?"

"Yeah. I have to get stuff, too. Decorations, and the like. And Christmas is two weeks away. Ugh," Kim said.

"What? You don't like Christmas, Ms. Scrooge?" Luke grinned.

"It's not that. It's just…my Christmas dream, my wish, isn't going to come true. There really isn't that much else to look forward to. You know what I mean."

From behind the tree, Jack frowned. What Christmas dream was Kim talking about? His confusion, and displeasure, was augmented when Luke nodded understandingly.

"I know," Luke said, his voice soft. "Mine isn't either. But come on, we shouldn't be moping. And there is more to anticipate. Your family and your friends being around, the tree, the food, and the presents!"

Kim laughed at his excitement, but didn't move. She beamed devilishly. Luke backed away.

"What?"

"Piggy-back!" Kim cried, extending her arms.

"Oh no," Luke muttered. "No way, Crawford! I am not going to—"

"Do it, or very bad things will happen!" Kim threatened, crossing her arms. Unfortunately, Luke knew this was true. So, he did what any sensible person would do.

He ran.

Kim gave a shriek of laughter and chased after him. She kept cutting off any escape attempt that Luke endeavoured, which was lucky for Jack and Meghan as they didn't have to move.

"Gotcha!" Kim yelled triumphantly, and then tackled Luke to the ground and started mercilessly tickling him. Peals of laughter rung in the air like bells, making every person look at the two and smile.

Jack, on the other hand, had a different reaction. He didn't feel any pleasure at all. All he felt was that strange twisting feeling inside again, that feeling of loss, coupled with another emotion, one he couldn't recognize. It was making him think some very unsavory things about Luke.

In a few minutes, the tickle fight was over. Both Kim and Luke were lying in the grass on their backs, chests heaving.

"Don't ever… do that… again!" Luke puffed.

"Don't…tell me…what to do!" Kim retorted, panting.

They laughed again. And then, in a few minutes, Kim sighed.

"He doesn't care anymore," she said.

Luke looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"It's Jack. He doesn't care much about me anymore."

Jack was shocked. What on earth had he done to make her think that?

"I think you know what I mean, Luke." Kim sat up. "He doesn't hang out with us anymore. We used to be together twenty-four seven! At school, at the dojo, at the mall, sometimes even at night when we had sleepovers. We were so close, Luke. And now, he doesn't have any more time for me. You know something? I haven't spoken to him in a week! That's never happened before! Even if we were fighting, we would always make up in a matter of hours. But now, every time I try to talk to him, he's with Meghan, and even if he isn't, he just talks non-stop about her. I know it's the "honeymoon phase," but it's getting so hard for me to be around him. And he doesn't even get it."

Luke opened his mouth, but Kim wasn't finished.

"You remember the hockey game we went to? Jack and I won those tickets. We worked so hard for weeks, getting a picture book together for that contest. And when we finally win, what happens? He ditches me. After everything we went through for that contest, he had the nerve to decline the ticket. And it's not just that. For the past two weeks, I've been asking him if he wants to hang out. But do you know what the answer is? It's—"

"I know what it is. It's 'I have a date.' Or, 'I'm busy with Meghan," Luke said bitterly.

Kim lay back down. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I forgot that you're going through the exact same thing with Meghan. You wanna talk about it?"

Luke shook his head. "No need to. My story's basically the same as yours."

They fell silent, giving the two behind the tree to digest their words.

Jack had never been more shocked in his life, not even when Kai had shown up in China for the world karate championship. How could he have been so blind and awful? He'd been horrible to Kim. His mind ran through all the interactions he'd had with Kim through the entire past two weeks, most ending with him absently mindedly leaving her. He looked at Meghan, who had the same stunned look on her face.

They both snapped out of it when they heard Luke's voice.

"You know what?" he said, "Forget about my Christmas dream. I just want my best friend back."

Kim nodded, her eyes sad, and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. He leaned into her, and they stayed that way for quite awhile.

"We should go to the mall now," Luke said after some time. "It'll close soon."

They went out of the park, leaving Jack and Meghan deep in their thoughts.

The latter two looked at each other.

"We have to make this right," Meghan said. Jack agreed.

The rest of their walk was spent in silence, and they departed. There really wasn't much more to say.

As Jack went home, he realized that the unidentifiable feeling was still in his stomach. Not the feeling of loss, but the other one, the one that made him look at Luke with…what, anger? Suspicion? He didn't know what it was, but it had grown stronger when he'd seen Luke and Kim hugging that way in the park.

He definitely did not like it.

**Okay! Things are getting interesting. By the way, this chapter isn't completely finished…a little of it will be finished in the beginning of the next chapter. Anyway, again, I just wanted to thank EVERYBODY for the reviews, and also for the helpful ideas that I received from some people. It's great! **

**One more thing: I am in India at the moment, and I have updated as you know. However, the updates will be more sparing than usual. I can't do it much over the course of the summer, but there will be updates, so look out for those!**

**Okay, another random question: who's excited for Indiana Eddie and Kim of Kong? I know I am, especially for the second one! I just hope someone posts it on Youtube or something; I don't have Disney XD. Ah, well. **

**Read and review, as always! **

**PalindromePen, out! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay. I thought a LOT about this chapter. I originally had plans for this, but I decided to try to incorporate some aspect of Nicole's idea into this. I couldn't do anything to the extent you asked, Nicole, because it wouldn't fit into the plot, so I tweaked it. Hope you like it anyway, and thanks for the help! By the way, this chapter is again, of course, dedicated to Nicole.**

**Oh, and thanks to everybody for all the support! If we can make it to 100 reviews by the end of this story, I would be one happy girl! :D**

**As always, read and review! I do not own Kickin' It!**

**Oh, and by the way, the beginning of this chapter is a direct continuation off of when Jack is walking home. **

Jack stared at the mall entrance.

He'd been walking home, deep in thought, when he realized that he was directly in front of the mall.

The mall, where Luke and Kim had proposed to go after the park.

Should he…?

No. Kim was his friend. She deserved privacy. She didn't need anyone's help. She could take care of herself.

But why was the urge to spy on her so strong?

_I'm just looking out for her. Making sure that this Luke kid is okay,_ Jack thought to himself. So, sucking in a deep breath, he walked across the street to his aforementioned destination.

He was completely surprised and shocked to see Meghan stealthily creeping toward the entrance as well.

He walked behind her, then cleared his throat.

Meghan gave a shriek and turned around. When she saw Jack's raised eyebrow, she gave a guilty grin.

"Uh, hi Jack!" She laughed nervously, and then sighed. " Okay, you caught me. I was—"

"I know what you were doing," Jack interrupted. "I was going to do the same thing."

Meghan frowned confusedly and then her face cleared. "What's wrong with us? Why are we doing this?" she asked.

"We're just looking out for our friends," Jack assured her.

They were…weren't they?

Meghan nodded, eyes doubtful, and together, they entered.

It took a little while, but they eventually came upon Kim and Luke at one of the bigger clothing stores. Their friends were loaded with bags; each probably containing a gift for family and friends.

"Did you _see_ that woman's face when I came out wearing that ridiculous clown suit?" Luke was saying, his face split into a huge grin.

"Ha, yeah! She looked like she was about to puke! I think I nearly busted a gut laughing. And that man in the goatee was even funnier!" Kim replied, chuckling.

"I know! What on earth compelled you to knock his wig off his head?" Luke said.

"It was an accident! I swear! I didn't mean to!"

"Right," Luke said, rolling his eyes. "And I'm sure that explained you telling me you were right about his baldness." He shook his head when Kim stuck her tongue out at him, smugly noting that she had no reply.

They both burst into raucous laughter again.

As the two bantered, Jack was filled again with an aching sense of loss. He and Kim had been just like that, back before he'd met Meghan. They'd bickered and teased each other, and always had the best of times. What had happened? Why had he forgotten how good he'd felt then? Why'd he forgotten just how amazing of a person Kim was?

He turned to Meghan and could tell the same thoughts were running through her head about Luke.

"You feel awful, don't you?" he murmured to her. She nodded.

They turned their attention back to Luke and Kim.

"Okay," Kim said. She walked over to a nearby bench, sat down, and then started rifling through the bags. "I have presents for Mom, Dad, my sister, Eddie, Jerry, Milton, Rudy, Grace, Julie, you and Meghan. I only have Jack left."

"How'd you get presents for your other best friends, but not Jack? And why are you getting a present for Meghan?" Luke asked.

"I want to get Jack's last, since I can only get his things at a store on the other side of the mall. And I'm getting Meghan something because…well, it's a nice thing to do. I like her, and because she's making Jack happy, I think, you know, she deserves it." Kim shrugged when Luke shot her a confused look. "Oh, it's just a girl thing, okay?" she snapped irritably.

A little ways off, Meghan made a slight sound. "She's so nice!" she whispered to Jack. He smiled softly. Kim was always doing things like this. She always tried to brighten up people's days, and strived to be as nice to them as possible…if, and only if, they deserved it.

"Hm," Luke said, nodding. "Anyway, I have presents for my parents, my little sister, my dog—"

"Your _dog_?" Kim said, grinning.

Luke pointedly ignored her. "—Connor, Jason—they're some of my other friends— Hannah and Rachel—they're also other friends—, and you. I have Meghan left."

"You have any idea what you're getting her?" Kim said, leaning back against the bench.

"Yup." Luke didn't elaborate. "Anyway…what did you get me?"

"That's for me to know, and you to find out."

"Oh, come on!" Luke said. "Hey, you couldn't have gotten me anything I haven't already seen. We were shopping together the entire time, you know."

Kim laughed. "You remember when I said I needed to go to the bathroom…"

"Oh, you sneaky little blonde."

"Why thank you, thank you very much." Kim bowed mockingly. "Anyway, what did you get me? And I'm pretty positive that I saw whatever you got."

Luke laughed in the exact same way Kim had just moments before. "Well," he said, "Remember when you said you had to go to the bathroom…conveniently providing me with ten minutes of alone time…?"

"Oh, you sneaky little brunet."

"Why, thank you. I try."

They sighed, and were quiet for a few moments. "Well," Kim finally said, "We should go and finish our shopping now."

"Mmmhmm," her companion said agreeably, and stretched.

They started walking again. Jack and Meghan followed them. Suddenly, however, Luke stopped.

"You know, we should split up. My present for Meghan is on the east side of the mall, and yours—"

"Mine for Jack is on the north. Yeah, we should. Meet back here in twenty minutes, okay?" Kim said.

"Okay."

Jack and Meghan looked at each other in panic. "I'll get Kim. You get Luke," Jack said. His girlfriend nodded, and they parted.

Ten minutes later, Jack spied Kim walking into a store. But from the angle he was standing at, he couldn't see its name. Curious, he attempted to see the name without exposing his position, but failing, he was about to go closer, when Kim emerged with a large gift-wrapped box with a tag on it.

He followed her back, and met up with Meghan.

"Any idea what Luke got you?" he asked her.

"No. I couldn't see the name of the store. You?" she replied.

"Ditto."

They started watching Luke and Kim again.

"What was your present?" Kim said to Luke. In response, he pulled something out of his pocket—a box, Meghan said to Jack after squinting—and opened it. Kim whistled.

"That is gorgeous!" she exclaimed. Luke smiled in reply.

Jack and Meghan groaned unhappily, unable to make out the item.

"What about you?" Luke asked. Kim showed him the label on her giant box.

"Whoa! That is awesome! Don't these cost a fortune?" he said, ogling at the box.

"It's fine. I saved up two months' worth of allowance, plus doing all sorts of weird jobs. Including babysitting my neighbour's fish." Kim wrinkled her nose. "Anyway, I bet Meghan's present cost way more."

"Not really, actually. It was about the same."

They were silent.

"You think she'll like it?" Luke asked softly.

"Absolutely! Any girl would!"

The boy sighed. "But she…she might have changed. What if her tastes are different? What if she doesn't appreciate it…appreciate me?"

Kim exhaled loudly, sadly. "Look. I know things are hard right now. We feel alone, isolated, almost. But we can't act as if our best friends have…I don't know, moved away or something. Because, above everything, they are still our best friends. I know we're mad at them, I know we have other…problems, but we can cope. Because, Luke, we have something they don't have."

"What?" the brunet asked, cocking his head.

"We have each other."

And at those words, Luke smiled, and Jack's heart plummeted deep into his stomach.

"Can we leave now?" Meghan murmured beside him. He nodded wordlessly, and they walked out, not speaking.

When they reached the intersection where they had to separate, Meghan kissed Jack on the cheek, waved goodbye, and left mutely, looking pensive.

Jack stared after her for a second, feeling his insides uncoil very slightly with…what? Relief? No…not relief, but the nagging feeling in his head that something was wrong was abating slowly with every step that was taken by his departing girlfriend.

And for the rest of the evening, and most of the night, confusion and an unexplainable sorrow at Kim's words were the only things that ruled his mind.

**Hm. I guess I couldn't incorporate my ideas into this chapter today, but no harm done. I don't think this was my best chapter, not by a long shot, but it makes things interesting. Anyway, things will start coming together in the next chapter. Not very fast, not super dramatically, but things will happen. **

**Oh, and another thing. To those who have ideas, please feel free to leave them in a PM or a review, if you like, but don't feel bad if I don't use them. I have ideas that I really want to get down, and I may not be able to use them.**

**Well, anyway, thanks for the reviews! I am so happy that I'm getting so many positive responses, considering this is my first multi-chapter story ever. Keep reading and reviewing!**

**PalindromePen, out. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Holy cow! You guys are FANTASTIC! I can't believe I actually got over 100 reviews! Thanks so much for all the support and feedback. You're amazing. **

**Anyway, in this chapter, we start to get to the main part of the story. I'm not sure, but I think that this story is almost done. Maybe a few more chapters left to it. So, anyway, read and review! **

**Enjoy!**

Seaford High may not have been the most athletic school ever. It may not have had the best food, or the best students. But there was definitely one thing for sure.

It knew how to get into the spirit of things.

And as Kim, Milton and Eddie stared at the array of red and green banners on the walls, the pine scented wreaths, and the lights that adorned every door, window, staircase, and wall, this was the only thought running through their minds.

"I've never seen anyone go to this much trouble over Christmas!" Kim exclaimed.

"Not even my great aunt Hilda, and she loves getting dressed as Santa each year for the family reunion," Eddie remarked.

"You guys," Milton said, walking over to the main billboard and pointing to a poster. "There's more."

The three eyed the poster. It said:

Come one, come all, to the annual Christmas Dance on Friday, December 22, at 8:30! Bring all your friends and dates, and don't forget to bring yourselves! Have a rocking good time! 

"A dance on the last day of school before Winter Break, huh?" Eddie said. "It could be fun."

"Well, Julie and I haven't been seeing each other very often. I think it's a good opportunity to spend some time with her." Milton smiled.

Kim was silent.

"Kim?" Eddie said. "You okay?"

"What?" Kim shook her head. "Sorry…I kind of drifted off…" Eddie and Milton exchanged knowing, concerned glances.

"Is this about Jack?" Milton asked softly.

"Whaaaaat? No," Kim said, snorting unconvincingly.

"Mmmhmm," her companions said, shaking their heads. "Come on, Kim. You can talk to us."

"Alright, fine!" the blonde replied, throwing her hands up in frustration. "It is about him. But, that's all I'm going to say."

Eddie grinned. "You don't have to say anything more," he said cockily. Kim blushed slightly.

Suddenly, a voice from behind them called, "Kim!"

The blonde turned and saw Jack running toward her from the hallway. She frowned slightly, ignoring the sudden acceleration of her heart.

"Hey," he said quietly. "Can I talk to you for a sec?" Kim exchanged a glance with Milton and Eddie, who shrugged. She nodded.

They went aside. "So, uh…" Jack scratched the back of his neck. There seemed to be no place to start. "I…I wanted to say…I mean…" He stopped and sighed. "Okay, look. I've realized that I let this whole relationship has gone to my head." He saw Kim's impatient look, and went on nervously. "I haven't been spending much time with you, or the others, and I wanted to apologize." Jack looked at his best friend, who stared back coldly. "So…I'm so, so sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you."

There was silence.

"Is that it?" she finally said, her tone freezing.

"What?"

"I said, is that _it_?" Kim repeated frigidly. "That's all you're apologizing for?"

"Um…yes?" Jack had no idea where she was going with this.

Kim looked almost murderous. She opened her mouth, and then closed it, choosing instead to just walk away in disgust.

"Kim!" Jack ran after her. "What else? What else did I do wrong?"

At that point, Kim exploded.

"What else did you DO?" she yelled, her voice rising in volume and pitch. "You get a girlfriend, and you change! You miss practice and you completely forget us! When was the last time you actually, completely had a conversation with us without mentioning your girlfriend?" Kim cut off Jack's reply. "Seven weeks ago! And that's bad enough, but then I get the tickets for the hockey game. A once in a lifetime opportunity. You knew how hard we worked for those! We practically slaved over that story, trying to make it perfect. And what do you do when we win? For a stupid date with Meghan, YOU DITCH ME!" With the last three words, she jabbed at him emphatically, glare accusatory. And then her tone changed, and so did her angry posture. She withdrew her arms and crossed them, eyes never leaving Jack's face.

"What _happened_ to you? Where did the Jack Anderson I used to know go?" she whispered, and Jack finally saw the maelstrom of emotions that she had been working so hard to hide. Sorrow, hurt, fury, disappointment…they swirled around in her eyes, each struggling to rise to the surface.

He glanced around, noting the many stares they were receiving, grabbed Kim's arm, and pulled her to a more private part of the foyer. She ripped her arm free of his grip. He frowned slightly.

"Kim…I am so, so, so sorry! If I'd realized how much pain I was causing you—"

"But you didn't."

Jack sighed. "I know. I was blind and stupid…but I'm a guy. I don't know why, but we aren't good with these things. We can't pick up on feelings and emotions the way girls can."

"Milton, Eddie and Jerry did," Kim responded quietly, but Jack felt rewarded when he saw her lips twitch briefly into a smile.

"Yeah, well, they aren't exactly ordinary. Anyway, my point is, I really do mean my apology, and I'll try never to do it again." He gazed at her desperately, trying to convey how bad he felt.

Finally, Kim relented. "Alright, fine. I forgive you. But if you do something like that again, I swear I will hurt you."

"I don't doubt it." Jack grinned. Kim gave an exasperated sigh, and smiled as well, before putting up her hand for a high five. Jack just grinned and again and shook his head, then pulled Kim into a hug, hearing a squeak of surprise.

For some reason, maybe the slight happiness he felt at Kim's eventual forgiveness, he felt as if that was the best hug he'd ever had.

They walked back toward their friends, who merely looked Kim with expectation in their eyes, waiting for Kim to tell them what had happened.

_Later,_ she signalled to them, and Milton and Eddie nodded.

"So, I'm going to the dance with Meghan. Are you guys going?" Jack asked.

Milton and Eddie affirmed it, and Jack then turned to Kim.

"What about you?" he said. Kim shrugged.

"I might."

"Oh. And…" Jack swallowed a little nervously. "Who are you asking?"

Kim was actually planning on asking Luke, but she decided not to reveal that till the actual date of the dance. "Just a guy I know."

Jack frowned; he had ideas about who it was.

"Oh," he said again. "And…is he…you know…attractive?"

"What?" Kim looked at him incredulously.

"Do you think he's cute?"

Kim thought about it. She hadn't really considered the question before, but she decided that Luke was pretty handsome, though not really her type.

"Yeah. Yeah, he is," she finally replied.

The bell rang for first period, and the gang split up hurriedly. In her haste, Kim failed to notice that ever-present frown settling on Jack's face, and she missed the clench of his fists as she muttered her answer.

**Line Break**

Kim met up with Luke directly after school. She would have walked home with Jack, but he said he was going to head to the dojo to get caught up on his missed practices. So, she'd called Luke on her phone, and they'd agreed to meet up at school, since his school finished about ten minutes earlier.

"Hey!" she called out to him, smiling. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," he said, falling into step beside her. "Well, no. Meghan apologized to me today. She said she was sorry that she was ignoring, and promised never to let it happen again."

"Same with me. How'd you take it?" Kim asked, grinning.

Luke frowned. "What do you mean? I said it was okay, and she hugged me." His expression turned momentarily dreamy, and then he snapped out of it. "How did _you_ take it?" he asked Kim.

"Um…" The blonde almost blushed. "I…sorta…exploded."

"Exploded?!" Luke's eyes widened.

"Yeah, ya know, blew up. Freaked out. I ranted at him about what a jerk he was being. And in the end…I forgave him, too. And…" Kim did blush this time at Luke's teasing smile. "Okay, okay. He hugged me, too."

Luke chuckled. "Honestly, I'm not surprised you blew up. You have quite the temper, Crawford."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kim asked with mock-anger.

"Nothing!" Luke raised his hands in defense. They laughed.

"So, Luke…" Kim started after silence. "Um…" She was about to ask him something, then noticed Chloe and Sharon, two incredibly gossipy pep squad members, walking directly behind them.

"What?" the brunet asked.

"You wanna come to Falafel Phil's with me? I'll ask you there."

"What's wrong with asking me now?" Luke said.

"Just come on!" Kim grabbed his arm and started tugging him in the direction of the mall complex, which was apparently the way that Chloe and Sharon were going. Kim didn't relax until they got there.

"Phew," she said as the two pep squad members veered off in the direction of the salon.

"Now are you going to ask me whatever it is you want to?" Luke said impatiently.

"Yeah, sorry. Those girls we just saw were Chloe and Sharon. They're the most gossipy people ever, and if they heard what I'm going to ask, they would take it the wrong way, and people would start squealing over stuff."

"Over what? What are you trying to ask me?" Luke was becoming impatient.

"Well, there's a dance at our school, for December 22. You wanna come with me? As friends, of course," Kim hastily added.

"Um…sure, I guess…" Luke said. "Are Jack and Meghan going to be there?"

Kim flushed. "Yeah," she mumbled.

Luke nodded knowingly. "We aren't going to spy on them or do anything stupid, are we?" he asked.

"Of course not!" Kim cried. "I just thought that we owe it to ourselves. We spent nearly seven weeks worrying and stressing over our best friends' new relationships. Not only that, but in their absence, we threw ourselves into our schoolwork and our extracurriculars to alleviate the absence. So, I say we go to that dance and just have some fun! We need a break."

"Yeah, you're right. Sure, I'll go with you." Luke smiled. "Now, come on. Let's go have some of that falafel."

**Hmm. I stand corrected. This is by far the worst chapter I've written. I'll try to do better! Anyway, I just wanted to thank each and every one of you for giving me feedback on this. Keep reading, and reviewing! :D **

**PalindromePen, out. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey, guys! In this chapter, you'll see interaction between Meghan and Kim. I'm not sure why I decided to do this chapter…it just seemed to fit in. Call me weird. :D**

**Anyway, thanks to EVERYBODY for all the support! I would really appreciate it if you kept reviewing! **

**Enjoy! I do not own Kickin' It! **

Eight days.

Eight days left until the dance, and Kim was already frustrated.

She was _definitely_ not the type of person to freak out over a simple dance, but for some reason, this one seemed more important than others.

Her main problem? She had nothing to wear.

While other girls said that sentence with tons of dresses in their closets, Kim actually meant it literally. She had no dresses. She'd confiscated the one that she'd worn the day Ricky Weaver came to Seaford High; it didn't seem worth it to keep it lying around. The dresses she'd worn for the pageant just didn't seem to fit this dance, and besides, she'd given them to her sister, who adored them.

So, Kim decided to go shopping.

Cue next problem: she had no idea how to. She'd never gone shopping for dresses with such urgency before. She had no idea where to start.

As she contemplated her problem, lying on her back on the bed and staring at the ceiling, her phone rang. She looked at it, expecting it to be from the guys or Luke, but was met with an unfamiliar number.

"Uh…hello?" she said cautiously.

"Hi, Kim."

Kim was able to immediately recognize the voice. "Meghan? How did you get my number?"

"Jack gave it to me," Meghan replied. "So, anyway…I don't know how to put this…I called because I wanted to ask if you wanted to go dress shopping with me. You know, for the dance at your school."

The blonde was surprised. "Well, actually, I was planning on going, so yeah, I'll come. I know I need the help, anyway. But…er… why didn't you call any of your other friends?"

Kim heard Meghan sigh. "Well, I didn't really ask anybody else. I just wanted to get to know you a little bit better, considering you're my boyfriend's best friend."

Boyfriend's best friend. That phrase stung Kim slightly.

"Sure. Um…do you wanna go now? In the mornings, the mall is usually less crowded," Kim said. Meghan agreed and they decided to meet up in twenty minutes.

Kim was curious. She would finally spend time with Jack's girlfriend. She had no idea how to feel about that, so she decided to just go with the flow.

Grabbing bills of money from her stash of cash, the blonde shouted a quick goodbye to her mom and exited.

Meghan was waiting for her at the entrance to the mall. They stared at each other awkwardly for a few seconds, until Kim cleared her throat and beckoned her to go inside.

Within seconds, as Kim looked around at the various clothing stores surrounding her, she felt lost.

"Um, Meghan? What do we do now?" she asked.

Meghan looked at Kim's bewildered expression and began to giggle. "You really don't know how to shop, do you?" she said, traces of mirth on her face.

Kim laughed with her, glad that the ice was broken between them. "I really don't know how to shop for girl stuff anymore. I might have, once upon a time, but when I met the guys and got into karate, I lost interest."

"Hmm." Meghan nodded thoughtfully. "There was a shop here that sold amazing dresses for incredibly cheap prices. Um…" She walked to one of the giant boards that showed a map of the mall. Kim watched in confusion.

"Aha!" Meghan exclaimed. "Angie's Dress Emporium! Come on!" She grabbed Kim's arm and pulled her onto a nearby escalator, where they went to the first level of the mall. Meghan directed her blonde companion to a store right in front of the escalator.

"We'll find something in there," she proclaimed and went in, Kim following with less enthusiasm.

A girl a few years older than them greeted them.

"Hi. I'm Joanne. Do you guys need help with anything?" she said.

Meghan, who seemed to be taking charge of this expedition, nodded. "We—Kim and I—need dresses for a Christmas dance at school. Could you help us find dresses that are suitable?"

Joanne nodded. "I'd be happy to. Follow me." She led them to the back of the store, where a miscellany of fancy wear lay row by row. Joanne picked two dresses of a shelf; a purple one and a lime green one. She handed them to Meghan and Kim, respectively.

"Try these on," she urged, and the two girls did.

There was a shocked silence when Kim and Meghan came out, and then, all three girls started laughing.

"You-you-you look like a bunch of-of grapes!" Kim told Meghan, nearly breathless with laughter as she took in the bright violet, multi-sequined dress on her companion.

"I bet I don't look nearly as ridiculous as you do! You look like a parrot that got dunked in slime!" Meghan retorted, panting with slight bursts of laughter coming out of her throat.

Joanne wiped her eyes. "Okay, sorry guys. That was a disaster. Let's try again."

The next choice for Meghan was a deep forest green dress that stopped just below the knees and continued diagonally. She fell in love with it on sight, and the rest of their time was spent on Kim.

For Kim making a choice was practically impossible. Each dress that was shown to her was one that was rejected. They either had too many sequins, ruffles, frills, bows, or were too exposing. All three were getting frustrated.

"Oh, come on, Kim! That pink one was perfect for you!" Meghan complained, frowning.

"I wasn't feeling it," Kim said by way of explanation, refusing to relent. Joanne and Meghan sighed and continued looking around. The blonde stared off into space, thinking, when a particular dress caught her attention.

It was a deep royal blue, with a golden belt that matched the colour of her hair perfectly, and had golden thread curving around the hem. There were two very small ruffles in the sleeves. Kim thought it was perfect. She grabbed it off the rack and made her way into the change room. After stepping into it, she got out.

"Joanne! Meghan! How about this one?" she called. They turned, and their eyes lit up.

"Whoa, Kim! That is fantastic!" Joanne exclaimed.

"Yeah! You have to get it!" Meghan agreed, grinning in obvious glee and relief.

"Well, thank goodness that's over," Kim said impatiently as paid for the dress, although she was rather pleased with it. "Well, thanks for everything, Joanne! We'll come and visit sometime!"

Meghan and Kim walked out, laughing and chatting like, Kim realized, old friends. She was surprised to learn that she was having a good time.

"Hey, you wanna stop by the food court?" Meghan said. "I'm getting a little hungry." The blonde nodded. There, Meghan ordered a salad and Kim had a platter of fries.

"How do you eat that and not get overweight?" Meghan asked, gaping at the sheer size and number of the fries.

Kim shrugged. "When you're into as many activities as me, keeping in shape is incredibly easy. Especially with karate, since I usually spar with Jack, and he's a higher black belt than I am."

"Ah. So…um, Kim? What do you think of Jack?"

Kim jerked her head, looking up so fast that she almost choked on a fry. "What?"

"I said, what do you think of Jack? Like, is he a good friend?"

The blonde mentally sighed in relief. "Well, yeah. He's funny, smart, sweet, and loyal. He's also incredibly protective of his friends, and has a huge hero complex. He always tries to save the day." Kim smiled softly. "Sometimes he acts like a jerk. He can underestimate people; he did that to me once, when I wanted to fight him and he let me win. He also hates it when people tell him what to do. But whatever happens, whatever mishaps or mistakes he makes, he always finds some way to fix it. He's the best friend I could ever have."

Meghan smiled. "That sounds like Jack, alright."

Kim leaned forward, her eyes serious. "Meghan, I hope you know how lucky you are to have Jack as your boyfriend."

"Believe me, Kim. I know."

They stood up, ready to leave. As they walked out of the mall, Meghan said, "Thanks, Kim. I had an awesome time today."

"So did I." Kim hesitated. "And, I think you'd like to know, I think Jack's lucky to have you, too."

The brunette grinned happily and waved as she walked back home. After a few moments of pensive silence, Kim did the same.

**Line Break**

"You know," Kim said to Luke the next day, "Meghan's pretty cool."

"You think so?" Luke smiled widely. "She told me she went shopping with you. You guys had a good time, right?"

The blonde nodded. "I was sorta surprised I had so much fun with her. No offense."

"None taken. It was the same way with Jack."

Kim laughed. "You hung out with Jack? What did you guys do?"

"We went skateboarding. We're pretty good, actually. It was kind of awkward at first, though; Jack seemed to be evaluating me. I can't imagine why. But we started to have fun."

"That's great!"

They were silent for awhile, until Luke blurted out a question. "Do you think they've kissed yet?"

"What?!"

"Do you think they've kissed?" Luke scratched his neck. "I'm still a little uncomfortable about this whole relationship between them, and…well, to be honest, that question's been plaguing me for a long time, now."

Kim frowned thoughtfully. "From what I've heard, they only started dating when Jack asked Meghan out. They went on a series of dates, and that sparked a relationship. I don't think anything besides a kiss on the cheek has happened."

Luke nodded.

"Whatever happens," Kim said softly, "I think we can deal with it. We've gotten through this much together, haven't we?"

"Yeah. Um, I just want to say that I couldn't have gotten through this without you. Thanks for everything, Kim."

"Right back at you, Luke. Right back at you."

**And so ends this chapter of Christmas Dreams. I want to tell you guys this: the next chapter is the last one. I'm sad this story is ending, but I'm thinking of some new ones. Where one door closes, another opens! **

**So, I hope you enjoyed. Read and review as always! **

**PalindromePen, out. **


	10. Chapter 10

**And here it is. The very last chapter of Christmas Dreams. Some people want a sequel, but I have no ideas for one, and I really don't think that one would be necessary for the way I'll end the story. **

**I would like to take this moment now to thank all of you for your reviews and feedback. You always make my day! Thanks for sticking with this story and seeing it through to the end. I really appreciate it!**

**One more thing: there's a little Jace in this chapter. I love the couple, and I just felt like I should add them in. **

**Now, without further ado, onward to the last chapter. Don't forget to review!**

**Enjoy. I do not own Kickin' It.**

It was _finally_ here. The day of the dance. Friday, December 22nd.

Kim was already changed and ready to go. She paced the living room, bag swinging in hand, waiting impatiently for Luke to pick her up.

"Oh, sweetie, you look beautiful!" her mother said, fawning over her daughter's appearance. "Here, let me take another picture…"

"Mom! You've taken seven pictures already!" Kim cried, rolling her eyes in impatience.

"Then I need another picture with you and your date—"

"We're going as friends, Mom! It's technically not a date."

"It doesn't matter. I still want it. When I'm old, I need something to remember my daughter by!"

Kim was sure that if she was a character in an anime, she would have sweat-dropped. But all she did was sigh and allow her mother to keep taking photos.

A loud honk was heard outside. "Oh, thank goodness," Kim muttered, and then hugged her mother. "Bye, mom! I'll be back by eleven-thirty at the latest." She rushed out, leaving her mother completely annoyed at her impatience.

"Thanks for that. You just saved me from death by a camera," the blonde whispered, sliding into the back seat with Luke. She smiled at the driver, who she presumed to be Luke's mother. "Hi, Mrs—"

"No, no, sweetie. Call me Fiona," Luke's mom said, tapping the steering wheel. "And you look lovely, by the way. I hope you'll be my future daughter-in-law." She winked.

Luke was horrified. "MOM! We're _just friends_!"

Both Kim and Fiona started to laugh hysterically.

"I take it you like to aggravate Luke as much as I do?" Fiona said to Kim. The blonde nodded.

"It's my only dream," she said, clasping her hands to her chest.

"Girls," Luke muttered, scowling.

The drive to the school was short, and in a matter of ten minutes, Fiona had deposited the teens in front of the entrance to the gym with a wave and a smile.

"Your mom rocks," Kim said, waving back.

"Not if you live with her," Luke replied, but he was smiling. He turned to the door and breathed deeply. "I'm having second thoughts," he confessed, scratching his neck.

"So am I," Kim said, then sighed. "But we'll be okay. We have to do this. Remember, we have to relax and have fun!"

They nodded at each other, and then arm in arm, they walked in.

**Line Break**

"Hey, Jack, Meghan. How are you guys?" The aforementioned turned and waved at Milton and Julie.

"We're great!" Meghan said. "This is an awesome dance. Seaford seems really cool."

"It is," Julie said. "That fact's almost as certain as the one about an object in motion staying in motion." She and Milton shared a laugh, while Jack and Meghan looked on with amused smiles.

"Hola, amigos!" Jerry's voice sounded behind them. He was arm in arm with Grace, who looked dashing in a deep red dress. "Awesome party, yo!" There was another wave of conversation that was briefly interrupted by Eddie's arrival with Kelsey.

Jack soon realized that the only one of the gang who wasn't present was Kim. He was about to ask the others where she was, when he saw her.

She was walking toward them, a half nervous expression on her face. She was dressed in a deep blue dress that showed of her figure and brought out all her features.

She looked radiant. Jack thought she was the most beautiful girl to walk the earth. _And that's including Meghan_, he thought with a shock.

"Hey, guys," Kim said when she approached them. "This is Luke, my…um, escort. Luke…" She continued the introductions, and soon they were all chatting and laughing, with the exception of Jack and Meghan, who were too busy staring at their best friends.

_So she did come with Luke,_ Jack thought, then was puzzled as to why he felt so bad about that. _What is wrong with me? Why am I thinking this way?_

His thoughts were interrupted as a loud song came on, and people moved to the dance floor.

"You really wanna dance?" he heard Luke mutter to Kim, who shook her head and walked to the snacks table with her partner in tow.

"Hey, Jack. Wanna dance?" Meghan said, shrugging uncertainly. Jack nodded and they started, albeit half-heartedly. They were both silent, too lost in their thoughts to make any conversation.

**Line Break**

When Kim and Luke arrived in the gym, they immediately spotted their friends huddled at one end. Walking towards them, both were stunned at how amazing they all looked, especially after seeing Jack and Meghan. So as the first song came on, they went to the snacks table to talk a little.

"Meghan looks great," Luke murmured, his eyes fixed on said girl. Kim nodded.

"Jack, too," she added. Her eyes were sad. "I know it's wrong of me, but I still can't help feeling awful about this relationship." She turned to Luke. "I haven't ever felt this way before, Luke. This isn't just a crush. This is—" She struggled for the words.

Luke saved her the trouble. "I know, Kim. I get it."

They sighed, and then heard voices coming toward them. Jerry and Grace were approaching, apparently in a heated argument.

"You were so checking that girl out!" Grace was saying, eyes flashing.

"I was not! I was trying to get to the punch bowl, and she was in my way!" Jerry yelled back.

"Ugh! You're impossible, Jerry!" Grace stormed away from him in Kim's direction, and her date stormed the other way.

"Maybe I should go talk to Jerry," Luke muttered.

"You would do that? You barely know the guy," Kim whispered back.

"Yeah, but he's cool. A little dim, but still cool. Besides, he's one of your friends, so he should be okay," Luke replied, and followed the Latino boy. Kim smiled and turned to Grace.

"Hey, Kim. You saw that, right?" the brunette asked, crossing her arms.

"Yup."

Grace sighed. "I really like Jerry, I do. But I can't tell if he's serious about this relationship. I mean, it's only been a week since we've been dating, and I can't help feeling like he's, well, not interested anymore."

Kim patted Grace's shoulder. "Grace, Jerry's crazy about you! You can't imagine how much he talked about you to me, Eddie and Milton. He was practically raving mad. I think he loves you as much as you do him, and if he says something, I'd believe it," she said, referring to the little argument that had just taken place. And Kim meant it; in the days that Jack had left the dojo, Jerry had, for some bizarre reason, turned to her for advice about asking Grace out, probably because she was her best friend, and had gone nearly insane trying to ask her out perfectly.

Grace smiled. "Thanks, Kim. I needed that." A pause. "So, what's up with you and Jack?"

Kim nearly choked on a mouthful of chips. "What? Nothing! Grace, he has a girlfriend."

The brunette looked at her knowingly, and Kim sighed, knowing how hungry for details Grace could be. "Okay, fine, I like him, but he's dating Meghan, and I don't have a chance. The guy I came with is in love with Meghan, and he's in the same boat as me. So, we've been confiding in each other for the past few weeks, and we decided to come as friends. There, happy?"

"Very." Grace looked around distractedly, then said, "Oh, there's Jerry. Gotta go apologize. You'll be okay?" The last question was directed at Kim, who nodded.

_And then there was one_, Kim thought ruefully. She frowned ponderingly, and decided to look for Luke. Scanning the room, she saw kids dancing, (Jerry and Grace included; she had to smile at that), the organizers of the dance being congratulated, some friends who waved and smiled at her, Jack who was alone and coming toward her…

Wait…what?

Kim jerked her head toward the brunet, who seemed a little nervous to her. "Hey, Jack."

"Uh…hi. So, great dance, huh?"

The blonde nodded. "Really good. Seaford's outdone itself this year."

"Yeah…" Jack paused. "By the way, you look amazing!" he blurted, and his eyes widened.

Kim was surprised, to say the least. "Uh, thanks," she said consciously, flushing. "You don't look so bad yourself." She grinned mischievously, trying to lighten the awkward mood. He smiled back.

"Remember the last dance we went to? Not at school, I mean, but in general," Jack said, staring at her.

"You mean the cotillion?" Kim rolled her eyes. "Worst dance ever. Though it was kind of fun." She laughed suddenly. "You remember how you dived in front of that swan? I never knew anyone could jump that high!"

Jack shrugged. "Well, you know what they say about desperate times." He looked at her again, and suddenly there was a startling intensity in his eyes. "I was terrified that day, you know that? I thought something would happen to you. I never expected that the Black Dragons would be so bent on revenge on you for quitting."

Kim squirmed uncomfortably. "Well, thanks for helping out. But…you do know I could have handled it on my own, right?"

"I know," Jack replied, and there was a new emotion in his eyes, one that Kim couldn't place but made her heart beat faster. "You're Kim Crawford. The toughest, bravest girl I know. And the best friend I've ever had."

In the time they'd been talking, they hadn't realized that they'd been getting closer to each other. Now, they were standing by side, shoulder to shoulder. Kim noticed this, cleared her throat loudly, and stepped away.

"I—I, uh, better go find Luke now," she mumbled, and dashed away, taking deep breaths when she reached Luke.

"Hey, what's the matter?" he said.

"I don't know." Kim didn't bother elaborating. To tell the truth, she had no idea what had just happened. She shook her head, and asked Luke, "Where were you?"

"I was talking to Meghan," he said.

Kim swallowed. "Did she—did she sound…weird, to you?"

"Weird in what way?" Luke looked at the blonde concernedly. "Kim, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Never mind." Kim didn't know what was happening. One minute, she'd been fine, content, almost. Then, right after that strange, strange conversation with Jack, she felt…what? What was she feeling? An intense sadness, maybe. She had a feeling that her mind and soul, as stupid and superstitious as that sounded, was telling her how deep Jack's and Meghan's relationship had shaken her. And it had taken her just now to notice it.

She looked up from her feet and noticed Luke was still worried.

"You sure you don't need to go outside?" he asked.

"I'm fine. I'm…okay," Kim replied, nodding decisively. "I just need a drink." She and Luke walked over to the food table and got themselves a glass of Coke each. Kim felt her tension ease a little. She sighed softly, and glanced at her companion, who was looking at the dance floor, or more specifically, Jack and Meghan.

"Are _you_ okay?" she asked, feeling a surge of guilt as she realized how caught she'd been about herself.

"What? Oh…yeah. I'm fine." Luke paused. "This is a lot harder than I thought it would be." He didn't need to elaborate about what for Kim to understand. She squeezed his hand.

A slow song came on and people drifted off and onto the dance floor. The loners stood at the edges near the tables, chatting.

"May I have this dance, fair maiden?" Luke murmured, bowing down and giving her a small smile that looked as if it had no life in it.

Kim returned it with a wan smile of her own; she knew that they were both despairing. "I'd be honoured."

They moved onto the floor, Kim with her hands on Luke's shoulders, and his around her waist. They swayed in silence, letting the music overtake them.

Then, Luke stiffened, almost imperceptibly, and gasped.

"What is it?" Kim breathed, worried again.

Luke twirled her around and moved so that she was now facing the direction he'd been facing. Kim almost cried out.

Jack and Meghan were also slow-dancing, only, they were standing closer together then they ever had. Kim had no doubt that any moment now, they would lean in and kiss.

"Luke. I can't…we need to…" Kim couldn't speak; her throat was so dry. He grabbed her arm, grip like a vise, and walked her out of the gym. They both sighed, glad to be out in the cool air. Kim led Luke to a bench at the front of the school near their enormous playing field. They sat down heavily.

"Well," Luke said. His voice sounded unnaturally loud in the silence enveloping them. "I guess it's over."

"We never truly understood, did we?" Kim said bitterly, eyes clouding. "We didn't really realize how serious they would be…or how much we care about them."

Luke sighed, dropped his head into his hands. "It's done, now. There's nothing we can do anymore. What a disaster of a dance."

**Line Break**

She was close. So close.

If any other guy had been in this situation, they would have been elated. But Jack wasn't.

He didn't know what he felt.

Meghan was his girlfriend; he felt that it should be about time that they made it official and kissed. But he was hesitating.

He leaned in slowly, but stopped as pictures of Kim filled his mind. Kim, whose apple he'd caught the first day of school, who he'd thought to be the prettiest girl he'd seen. Kim, who kept him on his feet, made him realize what kind of a promise he'd made to Rudy about Bobby Wasabi coming, her doe-brown eyes shining with worry; Kim on that day when Ricky Weaver had dared to try to break her heart, and he'd been the last to laugh; so many images filled his mind and in that moment he realized something.

He didn't love Meghan. He loved…Kim.

"I'm sorry, I can't," he whispered at the same time as Meghan, who was looking at him with apologetic eyes. They felt a different connection then, one of understanding, support and encouragement.

Meghan stepped back and smiled. "Go get her, tiger," she whispered and Jack was off. A moment later, Meghan followed.

**Line Break**

Kim and Luke stared out into the night on the bench, feeling comforted by the other's presence but feeling so alone at the same time.

"You think we should head home? I could call my mom," Luke said listlessly. Kim checked her phone.

"It's only ten," she said. "May as well stay. Not much else to do at home other than brood and we can do that as well here as at home."

Someone cleared their throat behind them. "Um, hey guys."

Luke and Kim turned, vaguely surprised. "Hey, Meghan," Luke replied, voice dull.

"Can I talk to you? Privately?" she asked. Kim and Luke looked at each other, surprised and bemused.

"What about?" he asked, confused.

"Well, Jack and I broke up. And…"

That broke Kim out of her stupor. "You guys…broke up?!"

Meghan nodded, and looked pointedly at Luke, who stood and followed her, shrugging at Kim and mouthing to her that he would fill her in later.

Kim was now actually alone. She briefly considered just sitting there and staring at the moon, but realized that if Meghan and Jack had broken up, Jack might need some comfort. With a sigh, she got up and walked toward the gym, intending to find him, but was saved the trouble when she heard him muttering a little ways off.

"Hey, Jack!" she called, hoping to keep her sadness from her voice. "I heard about you and Meghan. You…you doing okay?"

Jack turned, and his eyes shone with—Kim squinted—was that happiness?

"Hey, Kim. I was looking for you." He grabbed her arm and moved her to a spot of moonlight so she could see him clearly.

"What's…what are you doing?" Kim asked, baffled.

"I have to tell you something," he said. "We've been friends for a long time, and honestly, it's been the best time of my life. When I started dating Meghan, I felt that joy all over again, but it continued to diminish as time went on. I couldn't figure out why, until tonight." His eyes were glowing.

"Meghan and I have a lot in common, you know. It's one of the reasons we were attracted to each other. But tonight, we realized one more thing we have in common." Kim opened her mouth but snapped it shut as she heard his next words in speechless delight.

"We're both in love with our best friends."

And then Jack was kissing her, and she felt and saw the proverbial fireworks explode in front of her eyes, and it was oh-so-good and exactly how she'd imagined, and he was so warm and had she ever really been so incapacitated before and—

Her thoughts were interrupted as he pulled away. They were both panting.

"I—I," Kim stuttered, for once completely unable to speak. Jack smirked, happiness in his face.

"I'll take it you feel the same way," he teased, and kissed her again.

There were no words to describe the moment as they wrapped each other in an embrace, filled with joy and completion.

"Hey Jack," Kim whispered. "My Christmas dream finally came true."

**And so ends the journey. Thanks again to everybody for all your support. I hope you enjoyed the last chapter! :) I don't feel the need to say anymore; just let the cliché emotion fill your hearts. :D**

**PalindromePen, out. **


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